Rating: 
Summary: A great addition
Review: James Luceno has done an excellent job of continuing the saga. His handling of Han through his depression and bringing on a new side kick was superbly handled. While die hard Chewbacca fans are still strugling through the loss, realist understand that creatures die in conflicts. I can't wait until book II hits the mailbox.
Rating:
Summary: So Han comes out of his shell. . .
Review: Han has finnaly emerged form his shell in this breathtaking novel. With all the grace of the original movies, James Luceno twists words to make us see what he writes. He gives us a heartbreaking portrayel of Chewie's memorial service and takes Han on a mission of revenge and rage. Han suffers more losses, an discovers a plot to take down the Jedi. Thsi book deals mostly with Han, but the others make their apperances too. Needless to say, I loved this book, and i suggest it to any one with a sense of justice and love and an imagination.
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Solo
Review: Well, the New Jedi Order keeps on truckin' and so far it doesn't seem to be running out of steam. While not as good as the Dark Tide series, I'm still having the most fun reading Star Wars since Heir To the Empire came out! This new installment features Han like we all love him, gambler, scoundrel, and master pilot. After all the pathos Han's been going through since Vector Prime, I was pleasantly surprised to find this book brimming with humor, most of it from the interaction between our smuggler and his new Ryn buddy, Droma.Also interesting is the reappearance of Vergere, the Jedi that Obi-Wan and Anakin (Skywalker, not Solo :) were serching for in Rouge Planet. I hope more comes out of this storyline in the future. I mean, wouldn't it be great if Vergere could hook up with Luke and tell him about the Jedi of old and how his father was as a kid? Great possibilities! James Luceno does a bang up job continuing the series and I, for one, can't wait to see what he puts Han, Droma and the gang though in the next installment.
Rating:
Summary: Great Han Solo Book.
Review: James Luceno has written a fabulous tale in the proud footsteps of Brian Daley and A. C. Crispin about everyones favorite SW Character: Han Solo. I have read every SW novel to date, but at first I was a bit leary about another new Star Wars author since R. A. Salvatore was just tollerable and Greg Bear was barely readable, but James Luceno actually managed to capture the essence of Han Solo, and more importantly, the spirit of Star Wars. In this book Han finds himself called on by an old friend, Roa (he hasn't been heard from since A. C. Crispin's trilogy) to help him track down a mutual friend that has hooked on with the Yuuzhan Vong as a mercenary. Han agrees, and of course winds up in a series of wild near-death experiences, and meets a new sidekick type along the way. Fear not, the sidekick isn't a predictable replacement for Chewbacca. It's not even another Wookie. Also, James Luceno has obviously done his homework on the Star Wars Universe, since he has many references to the past Star Wars books althroughout. He even has Lowbacca in it for a few pages and - as one reviewer put it - *mentions* Tenal Ka (Who is one of my favorites.) Vergere, the Jedi that Anakin and Obi-Wan were searching for in Rogue Planet is also in this book, but with the Yuuzhan Vong...or so it may seem. Also heartening is the fact that Mara finally makes some progress on the Virus she's been battling. That's all I can say without dropping any spoilers. As I previously said, this is a wonderful book, mainly about Han Solo and is a great addition to the New Jedi Order. I eagerly await the sequal.
Rating: 
Summary: What I was waiting for... sort of
Review: For those of you looking for more of Han, look no further, for James Luceno has him brilliantly portrayed in this excellent novel. It seems that he is finally coming to grips with the loss of Chewbacca. And one of my old favorites, Tenel Ka, is at least *mentioned* which is far more than I can say for her in the *other* NJO series. However... Where were Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina, not to mention Danni Quee? Same question for Corran, Wedge, Gavin, some more rogues, Janson, Tycho... call me retro, but I love those guys! Lowie and Waroo (wasn't he called 'Lumpy' in earlier books or was that my imagination?) don't really have significant parts either, although I can hardly begrudge James Luceno for that- if I had it my way the book would be a thousand pages long (that way I probably wouldn't be done before the next book comes out- on second thought, I'd have it done in a week, maximum). All in all, a brilliant piece of science fiction. Yay James Luceno!
Rating:
Summary: Vergere, Vergere, Vergere
Review: Did anyone read Rouge Planet? Vergere was the missing Jedi Anakin and Obi one were sent to find. She discovered the Vog invasion 50 before it took place!!! She left with the Vog in some peace agreement to save the planet and the living starships bieng grown there. Now she comes back with the priestess Elan as her bizarre avian companion, a Fosh? I don't think we have seen the last of her.
Rating:
Summary: Han is BACK, baybay!
Review: I was wondering when Han would stop moping around after the loss of Chewbacca and get back into his old wisecracking self. I also liked running into his old smuggler pal Roa again, as well as the fact that the Vong are slowly assuming their rightful place as easy-to-vaporize cannon fodder. Han also gets a new pal of sorts, Droma the ever-so-amusing Ryn with eccentric personality traits and insights into the universe in general. There's also confirmation of any suspicions you've ever had about the similarity between sabacc cards and tarot cards, and an amusing Indiana Jones misquote to boot.
Rating:
Summary: Han's back, but better than ever?
Review: This is the 4th of the "New Jedi Order" set of books, which started a new story line in the Star Wars universe, introducing a new enemy that is slowly beating down the New Republic's forces. In the 1st book "Vector Prime" They brought a moon down on a planet killing Chewbacca. In this book, "Hero's Trial" we finally have Han's closure, and quite possibly Chewwies successor. I won't give away the plot, Han's new buddy is certainly a distinct enough character that is both likable, and believeable. The chemestry between Han and his informal new co-pilot is wonderful, but certainly not as good as Han/Chewie. It was a good read, and I'm curious as to where this goes.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent first showing for Luceno
Review: Honestly, I was a bit skeptical when I first picked the book up, as Luceno was an author unfamiliar to me, and the NJO series was so filled with complexities and disappointments. However, I have to admit, Luceno has a lucid, flowing style that keeps you enthralled in the novel. I put the book down twice while reading it. Once to eat dinner and once because I _had_ to sleep. With the reintroduction of Han Solo to the playing field, things are looking up for the beleaguered New Republic. Unfortunately, the book is a little lacking in the Jedi presence for a novel supposedly focused on them. Also, I find it vexing that the two major internal problems confronting the heroes were cleared up in the same novel. It makes me wonder what we've got in store in the next installments.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy continuance of the NJO
Review: This is certainly a more than adequate follow up to the excellent Dark Tide duology by Stackpole. Luceno, no stranger to Sci-fi, takes Han back to the days before the Empire, when he was just a smuggler trying to eke out a living on the wrong side of the law. Indeed, Luceno makes several references to Brian Daley's classic Solo adventures. It seems to me that each NJO book focuses on different characters. In HT, it was Han, in DT it was the Solo kids, etc. On the downside, the Vong seem to be getting even easier to kill, yet they plow right on towards the Core. This is, all in all, a good follow-up to DT, and I eagerly await Jedi Eclipse and Balance Point. But one thing I don't get is, how are they going to stretch this Vong thing into 30 novels? Anyone with ideas, please e-mail me.
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